Silo and door therefor.



V. S. BAUDER.

SILO AND DOOR THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. I0. 1915.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M M W N I ATTORNEY tin nrr ea VICTOR S. BA'UDER, OF FOR? PLAIILEVEW YORK.

SILO AND DOOR THEREFOR.

Application filed November 10, 1915. 7 Serial No. 60,644. i

To all whom it may concern vBe it known that I, VICTOR S. BAUDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Plain, in the county of Montgomery and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Silos and Doors Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved construction for silos, the doors therefor and devices for securing the doors in position, and furnishing steps for a ladder by which the silo can be ascended when the doors are secured in position.

Among the features of my invention may be mentioned the construction of the brace membersand hoops, whereby inward and outward strains on the frame members are resistedby the hoops, and theformation of the doors and manner of seating the same to provide a. twosurface bearing. A main feature also consists in themeans for securing the doors in position and forming steps, the step members being separate from, and arranged to actuate, the door-securing members.

In order that a clearer understanding of my invention may be had, attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and illustrating certain embodiments of my invention. In the drawings, Figurel represents a partial front elevation of a silo doorway and doors therein, Fig. 2 represents a vertical cross-section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 represents a horizontal cross-section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 represents an enlarged front elevation of one of the doors, the step member being raised and the door securing member laterally retracted out of operative position, Figs. 5' and 6 are vertical cross-sections taken respectively on lines 55 and 66 of Fig. i, to an enlarged scale and Fig. 7 is a front elevation similar to Fig. 4;, of a modified construction, with the parts shown in lower or operative position.

Referring to the drawings, the silo is represented as having door frame orjamb mem bers 1, 1, the doors 2, 2 being mounted vertically in the doorway opening. Each door is formed of a front portion 3 and a rear portion 4, the front portion being formed of boards having vertical grain and the rear portion of boardshaving grain at an angle to that of the front portion, preferably diag onally to the grain of the front portion. Preferably, the upper and lower ed es of the front portions are beveled, as is shown at 5, and the upper and lower edges of the rear portions of the doors are square cut, as is indicated at 6. At the top of each door, the beveled front portion extends above the hori- Zontal upper edge of the rearportion to form a shoulder, the lower edge of'the next door above being correspondingly formed to seat therein, withthe lower edge of the rear portion extending somewhat below the beveled lower-edge of the front portion.

The door frame or jamb members 1 are provided at the rear edges thereof adjacent the door opening with square cut vertical slideways or cut-outs, having front surfaces 7 and side surfaces 8, as is indicated in Fig. 3. The front portions 8 of each door rest in the vertical cut-outs with their front 'sur faces at the sides thereof contacting, the surfaces 7 of the cutouts, while. the rear por-' tions at of'the doors are of greater width than the front portions, so as to overlap the same at'theedges, and rest in contact with therear surfaces 9 of the door'frame members. Space is preferably leftbetween the side edges of the front portions 3 of the doors and the edges 8 of the cut-outs, to provide for any swelling of the planks which may take place.

By the arrangement described, a double bearing is provided for each door, as is indicated at 7 and 9, whereby the strains in the frame and doormembers are distributed, while at the same time extremely rigid doors are provided. For greater rigidity also, as stated, the grain of the rear portion of the door should be at an angle to the grain of the front'portion By, making the rear graining diagonal, instead of horizontal, the likelihood of the lower edge of the rear portion of each door splitting or breaking, because of'thc outward pressure against the beveled upper edge of the front portion of the next lower door, is diminished. The diagonal arrangement of the planking in the rear door member is shown at the top in Fig. 1, the front portion of the door at this point being broken away. The grain of the front members of the doors is preferably vertical to prevent splitting of the same at the top and bottom edges.

I position a numberof brace members 110 across the doorway opening to form a rigid door frame, each brace member preferably ment on the face of each door.

comprising a metallic casting or frame 1 0, having for the sake of rigidity,- a T-shaped or angular portion 11 extending outwardly from the plane of the front faces of the door frames. The web portions 12 of the braces are "secured to the door frame members at each side of the door openin Lugs 13 are formed integral w'ith each brace member 10 at each side of the door opening, extending outwardly-in. front of the spider or angular construction 11015 the brace. Each lug 13 is formed with a recess, open-at the top, the inner and outer walls of each recess being formed of upwardly directed shoulders 14: and 15. The metallic hoops 16 extend around the siloand are supported in the recessesre'ferred' to-between the inner-and outer shoulders 14 and 15, the upper surfaces of the hoops thus supported being in substantially horizontal alinement with the'top outwardly extending surface'of flange 11. The hoops vfit closely between shoulders-leand 15 and resist inward or outward strains on the door frame members aseither the shoulders 15 or 1 1 press against the hoops. together'by turnbuckles or other known construction. V I

- The ladder and doorsecuring devices, will now be described, 'A pairoflugs or metalliccastings 17 and 18 are secured in aline- The step member 19 is approximately U-shaped, having its bottom horizontal portion 20 formed with a wide, fiat construction, to form a tread. This is preferably of spider construction, as is shown in Fig. The Vertical arms 21 of the step member are bent horizontally outward at their upper ends, as is shown at 22, and are journaled "in lugs 17 and 18. Preferably these lugs are made hollow as is shown and the horizontal por-l tionsf22 of the stepmember extend through alined horizontal openings in the inner flanges 23,23 of lugs 17 and 18. The horizo'n tal'end portions .22 of the step member are preferably formed with upsetor olfset' ends 2el on'theouter sides offianges 23 to bearings.

Each door securingmember comprises a rod bent to what'may be termed a flattened Ush'ape having central horizontal portion 25', vertical portions 26 at the ends'of 'por-i tion 2 5, and horizontally directed portions 27 extending outwardly from the ends of,

'vertical portions 26. Portions-'27 extendthrough horizontal openings in the" outer p'ortions'o'f lugs 17 and 18, which, openings constitute Qjo-urnal bearings for arms-27. The outer ends of horizojnt'al portions 27 are -'bent or offset, as is shown at 28,.to' form whatmay be termed oranksorcam portions. When step member and door (securing member '25 are in their lower positions, the

Each hoop may be connected prevent, the same being sprung from their' 25 areswung upwardly, cranks or cam portions 28, are swung away from the faces of the door frames, so that the doors may be moved or taken out as willbe described. I

Step member 1935 arranged'to move securingmember 25 with-it both upwardly and downwardly when the step member is swung about its journal bearings, To attain this object the vertical arms' {of the step member are of set in relation to each .other, the right hand arm 21, referring to Figs. 1 and 4t, passing or r the horizontal portion of securing member 25, when the members are in their lower position,-and the lefthand' ertical arm 21 passing under the horizontal portion of member 25. "To accomplish this, the arm 21 is made straight, while arm 21 is curved, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, arm 21 resting upon the horizontal portion of member 25 which latter rests upon the arm 21' when the parts are inlower position. 'lVhen the members or offset or cam portions 28 of the securing device, 'areheld' closely pressed against the door jambs, the throw of the cranks being sochosen in relation to thedi'stance between the journal bearings ofthe securing mein her 25, and the face of 'thedoor, astoinsure the door being held firmly against its seat when cranks 28 are directly in line with the door jambs. In this position, the arm 2110f the step member has a vertically disposed portion' 21 bearing directly against the face of the door, while the right hand vertical arm 26 of member 25 is supported on a slanting surfaceSOof the right hand lug'18 The jdoor is thus .held in locked position by the pressure of arm 21 of the step member upon the securing device. .This pressure is due to." the weight of the l step member 'and is increased when step 20 is trod upon .by oneclimbing the ladder.

Whenit desired to unlock thedoor, step member "19" is swung into the raised position shown in Fig. 1, arm 21 pressing against the horizontal portion of member to carry thee-same into raised position likewise. The end" or farni 21, adjacent its journal hearing, may be provided with a roundedheelor pro je'ction 31'to roll'up'ontheface' of thedoor and relieve the strain upon the journalbear ing of the step member during su'clrpiyot'al are thus arranged, the cranks,"

cranks 28 press tightly against the front 7 faces of-the doorflam-b members 1 to hold movement ofthe. stepmember. JWhen the;

surfaces 32 and33 formed on' lugs 17 and 18 respectively. When the stop member and securing member are swung upwardly, the left hand vertical arm 26 on member 25 moves in contact with cam surface 32, moving member 25 laterally in its journal bearings into the position shown in Fig. 4:, in

which the left hand crank 28 clears the edge of the adjacent door frame 1. In this position, the securing member is seated at the junction of horizontal portion 25 and the left hand vertical por ion 26, against the slanting shoulder at, on'the left hand lug 17, while the right hand arm 26 may rest upon a corresponding inclined seat 35 on the casting 18. When the members are again swung into lower or locking position, cam 33 on lug 18 engages the right hand vertical portion 26 of the door locking member to move the latter laterally to the left into the engaging position shown in Fig. 1. V

lVhen the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the door may readily be removed from its seat by moving the left hand edge of the same rearwardly until the rear of the adjacent frame member 1 is cleared, when the door may be moved to the left sulfiiently to enable the'right hand crank 28 to clear the adjacent doorframe member 1. The modification shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings is the same as that described above, except that no provision is made for shift ing the door securing dc ice laterally. The lugs 17 and 18" secured to the door are therefore not provided with the cam surfaces and 33, and neither crank 28 clears the edge of the adjacent door frame when the parts are in raised position. In this instance, the door may be removed from its seat because of the fact that the throw of crank 28 is greater than the depth of the vertical cut-outs in which the front portion 3 of the door is adapted to seat. In this case, it is also necessary that the distance between one of the lugs 17 and 18 from the adjacent edge of the door is greater than the distance by which the crank on the opposite side extends over the adjacent door frame member. The parts being in raised position, one edge of the door, for example, the left edge, is pressed rearwardly until the adjacent crank 28 contacts the front of the door frame member, when the adjacent edge of the front portion 3 of the door will be to the-rear of the rear surface 9 of the frame member. the left, with the left hand edge of portion 3 of the door moving behind the portion 9 of the door frame and the left hand crank 28 moving in front of the door frame-until the The door may then be moved to end of the right hand crank 28 cle'ars the inner edge of'the adjacent frame member 1, whereupon the right hand edge of the door is movedrearwardly until the right hand crank 28 isto the rearof the right hand door frame, upon which the whole door may be moved to the right behind the right hand door frame until the left hand crank 28 clears thefront edge of the adjacent frame member 1. V r

A feature of my invention, in addition to those previously noted, is found in the fact that the hoops and braces are so arranged as to serve as step means, in addition to the members 19, Thus if some of the doors are moved out of position, or are removed, a brace 10: together with the hoop 16 carried thereby will serve as a step, a broad foothold being provided by thehorizontal iange of spider 11, and the'hoop 16 in front of, andin alinement with, the same. 01', if all the doors are taken out, the distance between braces 10 is not too great to prevent the same beingused as a ladder. By the means described, the weight and cost of braces 10 is reduced, in comparison with braces adapted to act alone as footholds, while the combination of the braces'with the hoops. forms an exceedingly rigid struc ture, which is also adapted to serve as step means, as stated. It should also be. noted that shoulders 12 on braces 10, "which shoulders engage the inner surfaces of the door j ambs, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, resist strains tending to collapsethe frame members 1 in the direction of the door opening, if the hoops should be adjusted too tight.

Having now particularly described my invention, what 1 claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In. a silo, the combination of door frame members, having a door opening be tween the same, a series of doors fitting in said opening, and step and door-securing instrumentalities carried by each door, comprising a pair of alined lugs, having two pairs of horizontal openings therein, a U-shaped step member, having upper ends bent outwardly and journaled in one pair of said openings, and a second U-shaped member, the upper ends of which are bent outward to extend through and be journaled in said second pair of openings, the horizontal central portion of said member eX- tending under and over the vertical arms, respectively, of said step member, when the latter is in lower position, and the outer horizontal arms of said second member having offset portions positioned totightly engage the faces of said frame members, when said step member is in lower position, substantially as set forth.

2. In a silo, the combination of door frame members, having a door opening between the same, a series of doors fitting in said ope-nin and step and door-securing instrumentalrtles carried by each door, comprising a pan? of allned lugs, havlng two pairs. of horizontal openings therein, a' U-shaped step member, having upper ends 5 first member being positioned to. bear in-.

wardly and downwardly on said second member, when said first member is in lower position, substantially as set forth.

3.1n a silo, the combination of door frame members, having a door opening between the same, a serles of doors fittlng in said opening, and step and door-securing instrumentalities carried by each door, comprising a pair of aimed lugs havinghorlzontal openings therein, and oppositely ,directed cam surfaces thereon; a substantially U-shaped bent rod having ends extendingthrough and journaled in said openings, shoulders, and an offset central portion; and a pivoted U-sha-ped step device, positioned to contact and swing said rod about its journals as it moves up and down about its pivot; said cam surfaces being positioned to coact with said shoulders, to

naeaiae shift said rod. laterally toward and away from one of said door frame members as said step device swings saidrod about its journal, substantially as set forth. 7

4;, In a silo, the combination of frame members, having a door opening between the same, a door fitting in said opening, lugs carried by the door, having horizontal openings therein and cam surfaces thereon, and a pair of U-shaped members having horizontal ends journaled in said openings, one of said members having its central portion adapted to form a step, and the other having its horizontal end portions adapted to press against the fronts of the frame members, when it is in operative position, to secure said door in position; said members being so positioned that pivotal movement of said step member up or down swings said doorsecuring member up or down, out of or into operative position, and said cam surfaces being positioned to coact with portions of said securing member, to shift the same to one side, when it is swung upwardly, to cause one horizontal end thereof to clear a frame member, and to return the same, when it is swung downwardly, to carry said end over the frame member, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 8th day of November, 1915.

VICTOR S. BAUDEB.

Witnesses: V 7 g BYRON E. Fo E, Jon-N .L, 'OQSMAN.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for 'five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner, of Patents,

' \AIashington, 11.0. 

